


Demon Borne

by sirina77



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: Abuse, Aged up characters, Beast Wirt, But a little different, Dipper is 19, Hearing Voices, Human Bill Cipher, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Slow Burn, beast is cruel and manipulative, bill is a weird roommate, more of a focus on mental health than romance, still a demon though, well he has a human body of his own, wirt is 20
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:06:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirina77/pseuds/sirina77
Summary: Wirt had been fine for years after his trip to the Unknown. But, then when he goes off to college, things start taking a drastic turn for the worse. The voice in his head makes his waking life a living nightmare. He's managed to hold himself together for a year, but he knows he's nearing his limit. His last hope to make it out of this hell alive rests in a tiny town on the other side of the country. He's only read second hand accounts of what goes on in Gravity Falls, but he's desperate enough to give it a shot. Maybe these Mystery Twins will actually be able to help him. Maybe... hopefully... regardless, things are going to either get a lot better, or a hell of a lot worse.
Relationships: Dipper Pines/Wirt (Over the Garden Wall)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 120





	1. Arrival at the Shack

**Author's Note:**

> Starting another multi-chapter fic before finishing the other one I've been working on!  
What could possibly go wrong?  
Anywho, I only discovered that this ship/crossover fandom even existed like a month ago and I am HOOKED!!!  
Had to write this lil idea once it cropped up. I'm hoping to keep this a relatively short fic. Got everything outlined from beginning to end. If all goes right it'll be about 10 chapters total, but we'll see how it all comes out once I get to writing the intense stuff.  
For now, hope you all enjoy this!  
I've got a couple more chapters done already, but will be trying to space postings out a bit so I can have a regular flow at least for a while. <3

It had all been a waste. 

A total and complete waste.

_ I told you as much before, did I not? _

The time. The money. The effort. Not to mention the hope that Wirt had dared to pour into this crazy venture. All of it had been relentlessly squeezed out of him in the span of one measly, ramshackled tour. He’d bet the proverbial house on this leap of faith, not that said non-existent house was really worth much given his situation, only to have reality come crashing in to rip away his last threads of optimism.

If he’d been in his right mind he probably would have thought this whole thing through a bit better. He would have planned ahead more thoroughly. He used to be all about plans and contingency plans and plans for if the contingency plans failed. He could recall a time when his plethora of plans usually led to him deciding not to act at all, either missing the opportunities that arose or being too overwhelmed by the ever growing list to make himself take those first steps. 

But it had been quite some time since  _ that  _ Wirt had been capable of thinking as he used to. 

By the time Wirt had stumbled onto the Gravity Falls website, desperately searching for answers and cures to what ailed him, he’d already become a shadow of his former self. Pure curiosity, coming from accounts on the forums about odd things that went on in the woods of the tiny town in Oregon, had spurred him to dig deeper. The stories about a family in the town who know how to deal with what lurked in the woods, sparked a glimmer of hope that Wirt was sure he hadn’t felt in over a year. Not since the nightmares had started up again. Not since the voice had followed him into the waking world. It spurred him into action. 

A taxi, then a plane, two busses and one hotel room later, found the young man standing in the town from the forums. He wasted no time on unpacking or sleeping, not that he thought he could. Sleep was a luxury that he only truly embraced when he worked himself to physical exhaustion and even then, the nightmares only allowed him a handful of hours at best. No, he did not sleep or settle into the little motel room. Instead he dropped his things off and immediately made his way to the Mystery Shack. It was where the forums and internet people had said to go. The people who knew how to help him would be there. He knew they would be.

_ A moment of foolishness. _

And yet, here he stood. At the end of a cheesy tour, in a shoddy gift shop, having spent half of what little money he had left on admission, only to realize as he watched the tourists waddle around shelves and children’s whines filled the air, that he’d been scammed. Everything from the tacky exhibits to the overpriced piles of junk labeled as ‘magical’ or ‘charmed’ and put out for sale, was a hoax. And he’d fallen for it. 

He should have known.

He should have guessed. 

_ Indeed _ .

This was Salem all over again, just with a lot less effort put into the con. At least then the kitchy shops and fake witches had been expected. He felt hollow. How had he let himself get more worked up over a middle-of-no-where town across the country than he had over Salem freaking Massachusetts. Why had he let himself expect anything better here? Why had he let himself hope?

_ Such thoughts will only weigh you down further in the end.  _

What little energy he’d been clinging to seemed to leak out of him as he mindlessly made his way towards the exit. Like oil, dripping from the gears of an old machine or between the cracks in the bark of a tree. 

Oil from Edelwood trees.

_ Oil for the lanturn.  _

Wirt flinched at the thought and swayed in his steps. Dizziness clouded his mind, as it so often tended to do these days, and he struggled for a moment to keep himself upright. He blinked and looked towards the door. The ten feet between himself and the exit suddenly seemed so daunting. The walk back to the hotel even moreso.

His eyes slid away from the door and settled onto a little bench against the wall. Yeah… yeah, he figured he could make it that far. He was tall. His legs were long. Three or four good strides and then he could sit for a while and… well… he could sit. That was plan enough for now. 

The moment Wirt lifted a foot to start walking again, the vertigo crashed through his head and sent him tilting dangerously to one side. For an instant he thought if he hit his head just right on the floor, maybe the impact would knock him out. Maybe then, he could sleep without the nightmares. But the impact never came. 

Instead he felt an arm wrap securely around his middle and effortlessly pull him back upright. The sudden shift in direction had his head spinning horribly and he had to shut his eyes against the dizzying wave pounding inside his skull as he was hefted against a solid and warm body. He almost missed the voice that addressed him. 

“Careful there, Pilgrim. Wouldn’t want to crack open that melon any more than it already is.”

It took a few moments to register the words and connect the thought that they must belong to the person who’d caught him. It took longer still for his head to stop pulsing enough to catch up with the words themselves. Wirt’s eyes shot open and he twisted his head around to lock onto his rescuer. 

“W-what… what d-did you call-” 

“Wow, you really are a piece of work, huh?” The man interrupted. He was only an inch or two shorter than Wirt, lean and lithe and sporting a head of golden blonde hair. Tan skin contrasting perfectly with the vivid yellow shirt and crisp black vest. It was the man’s eyes though that had Wirt staring. The golden irises kept him transfixed and if he wasn’t so sleep deprived and anxious and startled, he might have noticed the glow they had as they bore into his own. A pearly grin split across the man’s face before he spoke. “And here I thought today was going to be just another boring day at the Shack.” 

_ Don’t trust him. _

“I don’t-” Wirt started to make an attempt at moving away, but the exhaustion had already begun to claim him and his head lolled against his will onto the other man’s shoulder. His skull throbbed and the pressure behind his eyes was becoming harder to ignore. 

“Woah, boy.” The man chuckled. “Normally I’d expect an invite to dinner first, but I suppose I could kick things up a notch, since you’re so eager.” He tightened his grip around Wirt’s chest and turned to start walking in the opposite direction Wirt had been heading. 

“Where- what-” Wirt mumbled as his mind raced to catch up to what had been said and where he was being practically dragged. His eyelids felt so heavy though. It felt like it took all the strength he had left just to look up and read the Employees Only sign on the door that he was being shuffled through. A vague sense of unease wriggled up in his mind, but his other thoughts and senses already occupied what little attention Wirt had left to him. 

_ You cannot allow yourself to be led astray. _

“Don’t have much ‘f a choice.” Wirt mumbled. 

The chest Wirt was pressed against shuddered as the man laughed. “Already talking to the voices out in the open huh, Pilgrim? You’re lucky I’m the one who came to your rescue and not some doe-eyed tourist.” The man led them into a living room and wasted no time dragging Wirt over to the sofa and easing him down onto the cushions. 

Even as Wirt stilled on the couch the world around him spun. He knew he shouldn’t be here. He should get up. He should run. He didn’t know this stranger and his excitement over the odd situation did nothing to quell Wirt’s fears. What was going on? Why was he here? What did this guy plan to do with him?

_ Escape. Come to the forest.  _

_ You’ll be safe amongst the trees. _

“Oh no no no. None of that.” The man said, reaching out to brush his fingertips to Wirt’s forehead. “After all that effort to get you back here, I am not about to let you leave before Pine Tree gets back.” 

As soon as he felt those gloved fingers touch his skin, relief washed through Wirt. The aching and pulsing ebbed and the voices quieted down to barely whispers. He’d been trying so hard to focus and think, but suddenly he was immersed by the thought that none of it mattered. He didn’t have to care about it right now. He didn’t need to care about anything. His eyes slid shut and he could feel himself falling, gently for once, into the embrace of sleep. 

“Nighty night, Pilgrim.” It was the man’s voice, but Wirt couldn’t be sure if he’d heard it with his ears, or through his mind. That hardly mattered right then though.

For the first time in 13 months, Wirt fell into a dreamless sleep. 

\----------

Dipper made it back to the shack just as the sun was starting to set. He’d spent the entire afternoon trying to negotiate with the Manotaurs and explain to them that, no, just because the new Gravity Falls gym was now accepting new members, they could not go and get memberships and work out in public. The back and forth finally ended when Dipper relented and agreed to figure out a way to get them some used equipment for their cave so that they could still get swol in their free time.

The entire fiasco left him more annoyed than anything else. 

Dipper made his way up the steps of the porch and through the door with a sigh. Regardless of what insanity his adventures in Gravity Falls brought him, it was always a relief to be home at the end of the day. 

“Manage to get the beef slabs to agree to stay out of town?” Bill asked. 

Dipper turned and smiled at the sight of the demon casually leaning against the wall, stirring something into a golden coffee mug. 

“More or less.” Dipper answered, striding past the man and making his way into the kitchen. Though Bill never made a sound when he moved, he knew the demon was following him as he walked. “Told them I’d get them some equipment that they can use in their cave so they won’t have to go to a gym.” He set his bag down on the kitchen table along with his journal and made his way over to the stove, peering into the pot of brownish liquid that smelled... off. “Coffee?” 

“Tea!” Bill corrected, lifting his cup as he spoke. “With all the usual fixin’s. Milk, honey, hot sauce, garlic juice and ginger.” He took a swig of the foul concoction and grinned. “Help yourself, Pine Tree.”

Dipper rolled his eyes and flicked the lid down on the pot before more of the scent could escape. “I think I’ll just make a pot of decaf for myself, thanks.”

“Your loss.” Bill shrugged and went to lounge in one of the chairs at the table, sipping at his ‘tea’ all the while. “Oh! Almost forgot.” he said as Dipper started to make his coffee. “Got a present for you in the living room, Pine Tree.”

Dipper raised a questioning brow. “Is this I’m going to like, or is it something you like?”

“Don’t lie, you like all my gifts.”

“That is so not true.” Dipper said, crossing his arms and leaning on the countertop. “If this is more animal entrails, I’m making you clean up the mess this time.” 

Bill sighed dramatically. “One Valentines Day gone wrong and that’s all that comes to mind? You wound me, Pine Tree.” 

Dipper rolled his eyes. 

“Does it count as a mess if the entrails are still inside the body?” 

“You killed someone!” Dipper shrieked, standing up straight and stared wide-eyed at the demon. 

“Calm down. The meat bag’s not dead… yet.” 

Dipper blinked at Bill for a moment, then immediately started for the hall that led to the living room. He paused at the doorway, looking into the dimly lit room and instantly noticing the figure sprawled out on the couch. He instantly doubted Bills assurances at the sight of the too thin, too still figure, but as he neared he noticed the subtle rise and fall of the stranger’s chest and forced himself to relax. Not dead. That’s good.

He reached out and let the back of his hand rest against the guy’s forehead. He was cool, but not deathly cold at least. Dipper’s eyes drifted downward, taking in the sallow cheeks and deep, dark circles under the man’s eyes. His fingers drifted down to the guys neck, delicately feeling for a pulse. The steady thrum under his fingertips was more of a comfort than anything else he’d noticed so far. 

Not wanting to wake they guy, ‘cause clearly he needed the rest, Dipper grabbed one of Mabel’s knitted throws from a nearby shelf and draped it over the stranger. Once he was satisfied that the twig of a person wasn’t going to freeze to death, he turned to leave. Bill was leaning in the doorway, watching every move Dipper made, his ‘tea’ nowhere in sight. 

Dipper moved passed the demon and gestured for him to follow. Only once they were back in the kitchen and the door closed behind them did Dipper finally speak.

“Okay… why is there a half-dead guy sleeping on the couch?” 

Bill grinned. “That’s the present, Pine Tree!” 

“A starving human?” 

“No, the question that comes with him.” Bill clarified. “The ‘why is he here’, bit. That’s the present.” 

Dipper frowned. “You don’t know?”

Bill lifted his empty hands and shrugged. “I’ve got a vague hint, but this is something new even to me.” 

Dipper’s brows shot up. 

Bill smiled and folded his arms behind his back. “Figured that’d get your curious little brain whirling.” 

Dipper breathed in and let out a long sigh. “Okay. Coffee first, then you tell me what the hell happened while I was out in the forest.” 

“Gladly!” Bill said, draping himself back into his seat and sipping at the tea that was still somehow steaming in its mug. 

Twenty minutes and two cups of decaf later and Dipper was as caught up on the situation as Bill was. Random skinny guy walks into the shack, takes the tour, nearly collapses in the gift shop. That was odd enough as it was, but it was what Bill said after that had Dipper’s investigative gears turning. When Bill had caught the guy, the instant he’d touched him, he could hear voices. The demon recognized the possession tell easily, but when he’d skimmed further through the man’s thoughts he didn’t find another demon. He wasn’t able to find any signs of demonic possession at all actually. And yet, he could hear the same kind of echoing voice in the stranger’s head that he himself was so used to causing in others. 

It baffled him. 

So, naturally, it baffled Dipper as well. 

“Given his less-than-healthy appearance, I’d guess he’s been dealing with this for a while.” Bill said. “Couldn’t do more than a brief cursory glance into his gnoggin without permission, of course, but it’s not hard to tell that guy’s already a disaster. If the mind is like a house, then his has the front door hanging from its hinges and most of the windows are broken or cracked at the very least.” 

“So, he’s crazy.” Dipper stated. 

“To some extent, probably.” Bill shrugged. “But whatever ripped off the door is still lurking in the metaphorical house. And, it’s  _ not  _ a demon.”

“Okay, so a ghost then?” Dipper suggested. 

Bill rolled his eyes. “Please. If it was just some spooky spirit, then I coulda swept that nuisance out of there without even lifting a finger.” 

Dipper hummed. “Poltergeists don’t tend to possess people.”

“Nope! And the list of things that could get into a person’s head like that is actually pretty small. Nothing I know of matches up with the other symptoms at all.” Bill chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “Symptoms. Ha! Like he’s got a disease we could cure or somethin’.” 

“Isn’t that the idea here?” Dipper asked, locking eyes with the demon. “I mean, you kept him here for me assess. You had to know I was going to try and find a solution once I realised the problem.” 

Bill shrugged. “I knew you’d been complaining a lot about playing supernatural delegate instead of going out and solving mysteries. I saw a mystery waltz right into the shack and didn’t want to let the opportunity pass by.” Bill winked. “You’re welcome.” 

Dipper sighed. “You do realize this is going to mean more research, right? More late nights. Less time in your dream realm.” 

“Oh please. You’re bound to a dream demon, sweet cheeks.” Bill smirked. “You and I both know that if you decide to go all obsessive detective on this one, I’m hardly going to stand by and let you work yourself into the dirt. I’ll have you in bed and out cold with a snap of my fingers.” He said, wiggling said, gloved fingers as he spoke. 

Dipper opened his mouth to argue, but a thud from down the hall had both men turning their attention to the kitchen door. 

“How long did you say he’d been asleep?” Dipper asked, already getting to his feet. 

“Only four and a half hours so far.” Bill said, following Dipper into the hall. “Funny… usually my victims stay down for eight hours at least. I figured in his trainwrecked state he’d be comatose for at least ten if not longer.” 

The pair only made it halfway down the hall when the pale, thin stranger in question stumbled out of the living room and into their path. He hardly looked any better since Dipper had seen him passed out on the couch. His footsteps were unsteady, but his eyes were clear as he slowly observed his surroundings and took everything in. When his eyes landed on Dipper and Bill the former offered a friendly wave while the latter just smirked and watched. He startled back, tripping a bit over his own feet, but managing to keep himself from falling over entirely.

“Woah! Hey. Easy, there.” Dipper said, holding his hands out in front of him. “We’re not gonna hurt you, alright? We just wanna help.” 

“W-who are you?” the man stammered. “Where am I? H-how did I get here? Did you kidnap me? Why would you kidnap me? No. No that doesn’t make sense.” He took another step back and leaned against one of the walls. “W-what… What did I? Why am I-?

“Okay. Okay. Let’s just calm down and breathe, alright?” Dipper suggested, taking a tentative step forward, but being sure to keep some distance between himself and the stranger. “I can answer some of those questions for you, but I need you to calm down a bit first, okay?” 

Wide brown eyes finally locked onto Dippers. They stared at one another for a moment before the man nodded hesitantly. 

“My name’s Dipper and this is Bill.” he said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder, but not taking his attention from their ‘guest’. “You’re in our house, slash tourist trap, The Mystery Shack. Bill said you went on the tour and then, sort of, passed out. We couldn’t really leave you lying on the gift shop floor, so he brought you back here to recover.” Sure it wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t a lie either.

The man listened and nodded in understanding as he seemed to process the explanation. “The tour… right. S-sorry. I- I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, man. No harm done.” Dipper assured him. 

“Didn’t mean to bother you.” The man mumbled. “I- I was looking… looking for-” He blinked a few times and then whipped his head up and locked eyes with Dipper again. “Your house? You said this is your house.”

“Uh, yea-”

“Do you know the Mystery Twins, then?” 

Dipper huffed, but grinned all the same. “Well I should, since I’m one of the twins. My sister is off at college at the moment though. We haven’t really gone by that title in a while.” 

“Oh…” The man looked away and wrapped his too-thin arms around himself. Dipper could almost feel the wave of hopelessness fill the air between them. 

“Hey.” Dipper took a step forward and held out a hand, keeping his posture relaxed and his voice calm and mellow. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you’ve got a supernatural problem you came here to get some help with, yeah?” Dipper waited a beat before continuing. “The Mystery Twins may not be in business year ‘round, but I still consider myself a bit of a paranormal expert. If you want, we could talk more about this in the kitchen. I could make you some coffee or tea, if you like.” 

“You can? You would?” The man asked, eyes wide and hopeful again. He blinked and a bit of that unease creeped back into his posture. “Er- I mean. Um… I- I don’t want to be rude. I d-did kind of take up your couch, uninvited. And… and I don’t have any money. N-not really. I-”

“You’re not rude. We’re inviting you to stay. We want to help. We’re not going to charge you anything.” Dipper stated, nodding at his own hand, still hovering in the air between them. “Coffee or tea?” 

Silence hung in the air between them for a solid minute, the stranger’s face flickering from unsure to hopeful, then cycled to scared and then thoughtful. Finally he sighed and tentatively reached out and took Dipper’s hand, his fingers icy to the touch. “Tea’s fine, I think. T-thanks.” 

Dipper smiled a bit and was genuinely surprised when the guy gave a hesitant smile in response. He made sure to move slowly, still very aware of the stranger’s frayed nerves and unease, not to mention his physically frail state, but he was glad that his offer had been accepted. Bill swept into the kitchen ahead of them, no doubt going to start on the tea that Dipper had offered. He’d have to make sure the demon kept the garlic and hot sauce out of this pot. 

“Oh, um… I’m Wirt, by the way.” The man said as he was led to the kitchen. “S-sorry I didn’t introduce m-myself before.” 

“No worries, man. I mean, you were unconscious.” Dipper said with a shrug. “Kind of hard to carry on a conversation with someone who’s asleep. Nice to finally meet you though, Wirt.” 

“Yeah… nice to meet you too, Dipper.”


	2. Introductions

The soothing warmth of a mug nestled between cold hands and honey-sweet tea flowing down a parched throat, was more comforting than Wirt had anticipated it to be. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a cup of tea, come to think of it. Though, the instant the warm liquid hit his empty stomach the traitorous organ began to kick up a fuss and grumble embarrassingly loud in the quiet kitchen. 

Wirt averted his eyes and hoped prayed that no one had heard.

“You want something a little more substantial than just tea?” Dipper asked. Wirt instantly felt his cheeks warm. “I still have to make dinner for us anyways and guests are always welcome at our table.” he added. Probably just trying to be polite.

_ No need to be a burden on others.  _

“I- I couldn’t.” Wirt started. “I don’t-”

“You’re hungry and it’s dinnertime, Pilgrim.” Bill said from his place across from Wirt. “Just accept the offer and let’s get onto the juicy stuff, shall we?” 

“Bill.” Dipper warned.

“What? If he stays then we get to eat and get to hear about his little mystery.” Bill said a little too loudly. “It’s a win-win, Pine Tree!” 

Wirt looked between the two of them. Bill’s knowing, eager grin unsettling, while Dipper’s soft smile was encouraging and kind. They were so very different from one another, but he found he didn’t really want to leave either of them just yet. Regardless of what the voice said. 

Wirt nodded. “Okay. B-but I want to know something first.” He settled his gaze onto Bill, who merely raised a brow at him and waited. “Why do you keep calling me that? I told you my name already. H-how do you even know about- er… Where d-did you get ‘P-pilgrim’ from?” 

Bill gave him a toothy grin. “There’s other things I could call you, if you prefer.” Wirt could have sworn he saw the man’s eyes glow for just a moment and a chill ran down his spine at the thought, but before he could really let himself run the thought around in his head, Dipper was speaking again. 

“Bill, no! Do not start  _ that _ .” Dipper warned, rising from his seat and glaring at the blonde. His voice was stern, but not loud. It grounded Wirt and kept his mind from trying to wander. When Bill only shrugged in response, Dipper sighed and turned to address Wirt again. “Bill tends to prefer nicknames for people, as a general rule. I’m sure we’ll get into a bit of his own weirdness as we dig into this, but for now just know that he has ways of knowing some things about people.”

“Like a mind reader?” Wirt asked. 

Dipper waved his hand in a so-so motion. “Kind of? Like I said, we’ll probably explain it a bit better as things start coming up. For now, why don’t you tell us why you came to Gravity Falls in the first place while I get dinner started. You cool with just sandwiches and chips? I mean, I’ve got stuff for mashed potatoes and chilli, but I think it’s safe to say I’m really not the best cook.”

Bill leaned forward. “Even then, he’ll probably find a way to burn the bread.” he murmured conspiratorially. 

“Hey! It’s not like I was planning on toasting the sandwiches.” 

“You’d still find a way to burn ‘em, I’m sure.” Bill said, leaning back and grinned at Dipper. Then, in one impossibly fluid motion, he rose from his seat and swept behind Dipper, resting his gloved hands on the other man’s shoulders. “How ‘bout this? I make the food and you, the investigator, sit and listen to the perp tell his side of the story. Fair?” Before Dipper could answer Bill was already guiding him into the chair the blonde had just gotten up from. 

Dipper just rolled his eyes and seemed to go along with it. “Fine. But no funky ingredients in the food this time. Just peanutbutter and jelly on mine.”

“Yeah yeah. Make it boring, got it.” Bill said, turning and making his way over to the fridge. “What does the Pilgrim want?” 

“O-oh um… just uh… just peanutbutter and honey on mine, please. If it’s not too much trouble.” Wirt stammered. 

“Two boring dinners and a couple bags of flayed and fried potato flesh, coming up.” 

Wirt had to run Bills words around his head a couple times before he realised what he’d meant, though Dipper seemed quite used to the eccentricities of his… partner? Friend? They looked nothing alike, so family member seemed highly unlikely. They could be lovers, he supposed, though they hadn’t shown any obvious signs of affection for one another yet. At least not any Wirt had noticed. Then again, he had been missing a lot of obvious cues lately. Couldn’t seem to get anything right. Best to just leave his assumptions at the door, lest he stick his foot in his mouth like he always did. 

_ Insulting and burdening these fine locals with your presence. Was just one not enough for you? _

“Wirt?”

Wirt lifted his head and caught Dipper’s gaze. How long had he been zoning out? Did he miss something? Was he ignoring his host? Was he mad? He didn’t look mad. Maybe it wasn’t that bad. He knew it was still really rude of him though. 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean t- to-”

“You’re fine, man. Clearly there’s a lot going on in your head and that’s okay.” Dipper assured him. “Take your time.”

“Um… w-what was the question?” Wirt asked, averting his gaze to the mug in his hands. 

“Where did you come from?”

“Oh. Uh… I’m from Massachusetts. Lakeville, actually. It’s not very big but it’s a bit bigger than Gravity Falls, at least. Not that small towns are b-bad, or anything. Just… um… yeah. That’s where I’m from.” He wanted to curl up in a ball and hide. One stupidly simple question and he was already stammering and bungling the whole thing. 

“That’s pretty far to travel.” Dipper stated, seemingly unaffected by Wirt’s rambling. “Did you come all this way just to find us?” 

Not quite trusting his words yet, Wirt simply nodded and took a sip of his tea. Warm. Soothing. Calming tea. 

“That tells me that whatever this is, it’s a pretty serious issue to you, yeah?” Wirt nodded again and Dipper continued. “So, why don’t you tell me what’s brought you all the way out to Gravity Falls.”

Wirt’s brows furrowed as he looked from Dipper to Bill and back again. “Promise you’re not gonna send me to, like, an asylum or anything.” Wirt said. “I know how this is all going to sound, b-but I swear I’m not crazy… at least… I don’t think I am yet.” 

Dipper’s eyes softened and he reached out to place a hand over Wirt’s wrist. “Whatever you want to tell us stays in this room. We’re not here to judge your sanity, we’re here to help with the paranormal. If it turns out that this isn’t supernatural at all, then we’ll tell you up front that we can’t do anything for you. What you choose to do after that is up to you.” He shrugged and pulled back to cross his arms over the table. “That said, I have a pretty good feeling that whatever this is, will be right up our alley.” 

Wirt nodded, giving himself a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. Once he started, the words seemed to flow from him unhindered. He told them about the accident five years back. He told them about how he and his brother had been sent to the Unknown and briefly summarized a few of their adventures through those woods. He only started to stutter again when he had to bring up the Beast and how that tale ended up being resolved. His hands started to shake a bit when he got to that part and, as if on cue, that’s when Bill brought over sandwiches for all of them and Wirt let himself get distracted by the food. 

Though Dipper seemed to hang on every word, and at one point even pulled a journal over and began jotting down notes into it, he was still unbelievably patient the entire time. He never seemed to get upset when Wirt slowed or stuttered or glazed over some of the more unsettling details. He just waited and listened, always watching him with this mix of curiosity and sympathy. Try as he might, Wirt couldn’t find a hint of mockery or pity in those warm, brown eyes. For the first time in years, he truly felt heard. That, in and of itself, made him want to continue the tale, between small bites of his food here and there. 

He went on to tell them about the years after the Unknown and his brief stint in therapy, which had helped tremendously at the time. He mentioned that Greg seemed to recover much more quickly and, as he aged, only seemed to remember the adventures and friendly faces they’d encountered. Even if Wirt had the occasional nightmare that brought him back to that forest and those fears, life had been manageable. He was still a pretty nervous guy, but he’d started college and was moving on with life. 

“So, if everything was so peachy, then what was the trigger for all,” Bill gestured vaguely at Wirt, “this?”

Wirt shrunk in on himself at the memory, but forced himself to keep talking. “Last September the nightmares started to come back. But it wasn’t just memories or distorted versions of things that I was scared of.” he explained, taking a shuddering breath. “T-the Beast was there. He didn’t attack me… well… not at first at least. He just… stood there? A-and… and he’d talk to me. And it wasn’t things that he’d said before or anything that normally I have nightmares about. He was… different. L-like he was actually trying to talk to me. I mean… I- I was in the real world. I was in my room. I was safe, but… but it felt like he was actually there. With me. In my room. While I slept.” Wirt shook his head. “He was never there when I would open my eyes, but after the first dream like that, the feeling of his presence started to linger.” 

“What did he say to you, in the dreams?” Dipper asked. 

Wirt brought his gaze down to stare at his partially eaten sandwich. “At first h-he would just ask how Greg and I were doing. How old we were now. What we were doing with our lives. Like… like small talk stuff. I mostly tried to just ignore him, but he always promised to check back in the next night. And… he would.” Wirt picked a bit of bread off of the sandwich and nibbled at it for a moment. “After about a week his questions got more… I don’t know, personal? He’d ask if I was happy- er… well actually his words were, ‘Are you content?’ Then he started to mention things… things I hadn’t told him. About my life and… and things that I’d been thinking about…” Wirt sighed. “Look, long story short, college was kind of a big leap and it was a pretty good drive away from my home town and I didn’t know anyone yet and living on your own for the first time always has challenges and the whole thing was just stressful. But… but I knew it would be, going in. I expected it.”

“But it still made you vulnerable.” Bill stated, matter-of-factly. 

Wirt winced. “H-he started picking away at the things I would get stressed about. I wasn’t even trying to talk back to him, but he just knew. And then he started… suggesting things. Ways to get away from all the worry and stress and fear… he wanted m-me to go back to the lake… back over the wall… h-he-” Wirt could feel his throat closing up as the words played back in his head. That haunting voice, so calm and understanding, promising if he just went back over the wall, everything would be better. He knotted a hand into his messy brown hair and curled in on himself. Even a year later, those words still felt sharp against his ears. 

“He wanted you back in the Unknown.” Dipper surmised. 

Bill rolled his eyes. “Ugh, evil possessive entities trying to get their hosts to commit suicide? How text-book can you get?” he groaned. “Seriously, does no one have any creativity anymore?” 

“Bill!” Dipper hissed. “Can you not?” 

“The longer we’re here skirting around the truth of the matter, the less time we have to deal with this thing before it gets out of control. I’m just getting to the point and moving this memory train along. So,” Bill leaned forward on his elbows, resting his chin atop his interlocked fingers. “What happened next, Pilgrim?” 

“I- I was trying to block him out, you know? Really, I was.” Wirt started. “B-but he was there waiting for me every night. I started trying to go without sleep but… he didn’t like that. He got angry and more insistent. ‘Go to the lake. Just take a swim. You won’t be missed. Everyone-’” He sucked in a shuddering breath. “‘Everyone will be better off without you.’ That kind of stuff. Then Halloween hit. That was the first time he really lashed out.” 

With shaking hands Wirt held out his arms and rolled up his sleeves. Thin, nearly skeletal arms with a myriad of scars, both new and old, sat atop the table. His right hand came up to trace a faded circle of dash-marks that ran around part of his left wrist. Dipper didn’t have to ask. He’d seen enough bite marks from enough creatures to recognize the indents left from norma, human teeth. 

“He started hurting me in the dreams, and when I’d wake up… I’d be hurting myself… I have no control over it until I wake up. The things he does in the dreams don’t always match up to whatever my body is doing in reality. When I’m asleep all I can feel is him. I can’t feel… this. Not until I wake up.” Wirt said, quickly rolling his sleeves back down to cover himself again. “Staying awake became more about survival than just avoiding something scary. He  _ really  _ didn’t like that. At some point I started to hear his voice even when I was awake. Now I can’t get away from him at all. He’s always in the back of my head, lurking, whispering… watching.”

“And you’ve been dealing with this, by yourself, for a year?” Dipper asked. 

Wirt nodded.

“Damn. I’m sorry, man. Really, no one should have to go through this, but… I gotta say I’m seriously impressed you’ve held out for as long as you have.” Dipper said. “I can’t even imagine, going through something like this, having someone like  _ that  _ in your head, so consistently for so long.” 

Bill rolled his eyes. “I’m right here, Pine Tree.” 

Dipper ignored him. 

Wirt’s lips pulled up in the faintest of smiles, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I couldn’t- I didn’t want to let Greg down. I don’t want it to end like that.” 

“What I don’t get is why this Beastie hasn’t made the Pilgrim here off himself in one of these nightmares.” Bill said, dragging his gaze over Wirt’s hunched form lazily. “The whole ‘will to live’ thing may be impressive to some, but you’re still a very breakable human and an especially frail one at that. It wouldn’t take much to off you in the state you’re in now.” 

Dipper hummed. “The Beast could be toying with him, though if his goal really is to get Wirt back to the Unknown then that would only delay his plans. Human survival instinct is hard to undo, though. It could just be that Wirt’s body and subconscious are refusing to push past a certain boundary that would lead to a fatal result.” 

“That’s what I thought too.” Wirt droned. “Until he gave me these.” He lifted a hand and pulled down the collar of his turtleneck. Deep, angry red scars marred the pale skin. Most were long, thin lines curling from one side to the other, but a few were dangerously deep along the left side. Right above where his carotid artery was. 

Even Dipper’s face paled at the sight. 

Bill’s eyebrows rose and he hummed. “Guess ol’ Beastie isn’t so incompetent after all.” 

Dipper threw the blonde a glare, though his attention was quickly drawn back to Wirt. He rose up from his chair and walked around to stand next to bedraggled brunette. “These look fresh… how long ago was this?” He asked, leaning down to get a closer look. He was mildly confused by the lack of bandages, even more so by the flakes of dried blood around the wound. As if it hadn’t been properly cleaned or tended to. The surrounding skin was a deep red and he had a feeling infection was attempting to take old, if it hadn’t already. He raised a hand and let his fingertips run along the raised edges of one of the less severe cuts, feeling how thin the skin was and how deep the still healing wound went. 

“T-two days ago.” Wirt stammered, startling a bit from the sudden contact. Any touch had him flinching these days, but this was… different. He knew Dipper was only trying to help and the action was more investigative than insensitive. What did truly shock him was how warm the touch was and the softness of it. A tender touch from a person who cared about his well being, however shallowly. When was the last time he’d had anything close to that? 

The flinch didn’t go unnoticed by Dipper, who quickly pulled his hand away and leaned back. “Sorry. Sorry. Should’ve asked first.” He said, heat coloring his cheeks. 

“No! Um… er… I mean, it’s fine. T- the… this.” he gestured vaguely at Dipper. “J- just surprised me, is all. I uh…” Wirt cleared his throat. “It’s just been a… a while since I was r- really around people… at all.” A huff, that might have been a laugh, passed his lips. “K- kind of hard to go to school and socialize when you… you jump at every sound and can’t focus on anything for more than a few seconds at a time.” 

“Well, that is the idea, after all.” Bill said, leaning back in his chair and watching the other two with a smug grin on his lips. “These are pretty basic steps in getting a human to bend to your will. Sleep deprivation. Isolation. Fear. Starvation. Questioning their own sanity. Any demon worth his salt can get under any human’s skin with just a little practice and patience. I’d be willing to bet the only reason you’ve managed to resist this long is because you know what’ll actually happen if you give in.” Bill sighed. “Things never seem to work out of the puppets know what your actual plan is.” His eyes flicked to Dipper and he winked. Dipper scowled. 

Wirt glanced between the two of them, unease creeping back up his spine. “H- how do you know so much about demons?” he asked Bill. 

“Ah! We never did get to formal introductions, did we?” Bill exclaimed. 

He snapped his fingers and a bright yellow light obscured his body from view. Wirt squinted and blinked, but the light vanished as quickly as it had appeared. When he looked again, Bill was nowhere to be seen. Wirt’s brow furrowed. 

“Up here, Pilgrim.”

Wirt looked up. Floating about a foot over his head was a yellow triangle with a singular eye in the center of it. The Eye of Providence, Wirt’s brain supplied. Except… last he checked the symbol was just that, a symbol. Not an actual, physical… thing. And he couldn’t recall any rendition of it that had a top hat and a cane… were those arms… and legs?

“Technically, I’m not ‘physical’ in this form, hence the human-shaped meat suit.” A voice, the triangle, said, glowing slightly as it spoke. Wirt just stared, wide-eyed. “As I was saying,” the triangle held out a hand in Wirt’s direction. “Bill Cypher, interdimensional dream demon.” 

Wirt blinked. Then glanced between the offered hand and the triangle, then to the empty chair where Bill had been sitting. 

“Wow, this one is slow on the uptake.” The triangle grumbled, taking his arm back. “Yes, I’m Bill. That Bill.” he said, gesturing to the empty chair. “I know you’re running on fumes at this point, but at least try to keep up, kid.” 

“Y-you… you’re-”

“Bill Cypher. A demon. Yes. Moving on.” Bill said, twirling his cane in the air and rolling his eye. 

Wirt sat frozen, staring at the shape above him. Then, all at once the shock wore off and alarm bells started screaming in his head. Wirt jolted up, knocking over his own chair in the process and bolted for the door. Someone shouted as he left the room, but he only barely registered the sound. 

_ Run _ .

He had to run.

He wasn’t safe here.

Bill was a demon. Just like the Beast. No wonder he knew so much. They were kin. They had to be. That’s why he was so uneasy around Bill. He knew that aura. He knew the feeling of being in the presence of a being like that. No. He may be desperate but Wirt wasn’t about to trade one demon for another. The dreams were bad enough. He didn’t want to consider what a demon would do to him in reality. 

He reached a door that led outside and kept going. He had to keep running. 

_ The trees. You’ll be safe in the trees.  _

“Wirt!”

Wirt stumbled to a stop, his eyes locking onto the dark treeline ahead of him. The woods seemed to stretch on endlessly. Trees thick and towering as far as he could see. No path. No clearing in sight. Just ceaseless forest spread out before him for miles and miles under the stars. 

_ Come. The trees will keep you safe.  _

Wirt’s hands were shaking. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as the sight of the forest at night loomed before him. His feet felt like lead, bolted to where he stood, unwilling to take a step closer, but not daring to go back either. 

_ They’re behind you. Hide in the trees. You’ll be safe here. _

“Wirt?” 

Wirt whipped around at the too close voice. Instantly he regretted the decision, which put his back to the forest. He turned again, staggering back a few steps away from the tree line, and looking warily over his shoulder at his pursuers. Dipper took a step back, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. 

“Easy, man. It’s okay. You’re okay.” he assured. “We just want to help.”

“He’s a demon.” Wirt said, eyes flicking to the, once more blonde, human figure waiting on the back porch of the shack. “Just like the Beast.”

“He’s not like the Beast. I promise.” Dipper sighed. “Look, I know Bill’s a demon. There’s no skirting around that. But he’s a demon who is bound to myself. Whether he likes it or not he has to do what I say and he can’t do any harm without my permission. So long as I’m here, you’re safe. He can’t hurt you.” 

_ What beautiful lies _ .

Wirt flinched at the voice, his eyes instantly shifted to the forest and the shadowy spaces between the trees. A wind blew through the trees and rustled the autumn leaves that skittered along the ground. For a moment he could have sworn he heard a hum on the wind. Shaking hands rose to wrap around himself. He wasn’t sure if the movement he saw in the shadows was just his mind again, or not, but regardless, he knew that if he stepped foot beyond the trees, he wouldn’t step back out again. 

_ Would that really be so bad? _

“Yes.” Wirt breathed. 

_ Is it not better to deal with the monster you know? _

Wirt shook his head. “No. No I- I don’t want-”

“Wirt?” Dipper called, clear concern lacing his words. “Wirt, look at me.” 

Wirt pulled his arms tighter around himself and shut his eyes, but remained where he was. He was surrounded. He couldn’t run. He needed to escape, but there was nowhere to go.

“How ‘bout this.” Dipper started. “I’ll ask Bill if he can leave for a while. He has business to attend to in the dream realm anyways. Come back to the shack and just sit for a while. Just us. I can bandage up your neck properly and we can start actually discussing solutions to this whole Beast problem.” 

Wirt forced his eyes open and slowly turned to look at Dipper over his shoulder again. Dipper gave him a reassuring smile and took a couple of slow, measured steps, not towards Wirt, but to the side. He was offering Wirt an escape. No longer forced between Dipper and the forest, if he wanted, Wirt could step around Dipper and bolt for the road. He stayed stock still, watching the other man. 

“You set the pace. You can stay as long as you like, or go wherever you want. All I ask is that you give me a chance to actually help you. If at any point you’re not okay with what’s going on, you can leave. If you wanna go into the forest-” 

_ Go into the forest. _

“No!” Wirt shook his head violently. “No, no I don’t. I won’t. I can’t-”

“Okay, okay. You don’t have to go into the forest.” Dipper rushed to assure him. “You don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. Alright?” He held out his hand, easily within Wirt’s reach. “Just give me the chance to do my job.”

Wirt glanced from the offered hand to Dipper’s eyes. The light from the porch only just reached him from here, but they shone with a genuineness that was striking. Even if he didn’t really know this man, Wirt got the distinct feeling that he could trust him.

_ Yet another mistake, you’ll make in this never ending list of failures. _

Wirt winced, but the comment only served to encourage his decision. 

“Okay.” he breathed. He forced his shoulders to relax and nodded. “Okay, I’ll come with you. B- but... o- only on the condition that… that you can get Bill to leave.”

Dipper nodded, his smile turning a little sad. “Alright. He’ll have to come back in the morning, but I can get us some privacy for tonight. Just us humans. No demons. No voodoo. No magic. Sound fair?” 

Wirt sucked in a ragged breath and forced himself to release the vice-like grip he had on his arm. He reached out and hesitantly took Dipper’s offered hand. It was warm, he thought. Alive and warm and welcoming. Dipper gave his hand a gentle squeeze and slowly led them back towards the shack. Even as they neared he didn’t let go, for which Wirt was considerably grateful. 

Bill looked up as they approached and locked eyes with Dipper. Neither man spoke, but Wirt didn’t miss the trade in expressions between the two. Did they really know each other well enough to speak without words? That, or telepathy. Given the situation, Wirt figured the latter was more and more likely. With a tip of his hat, Bill flickered out of sight and the quiet of the night echoed around the two humans.

“Hey.” Dipper gave Wirt’s hand a light tug. “You didn’t really eat much before. Are you still hungry?” 

A hollow chuckle passed between Wirt’s lips. “S- sorry. I uh… haven’t really had an appetite for… a while. D- didn’t mean to be rude.” 

“You’re not rude.” Dipper stated. “Come on. Let’s get you warmed up and then I’ll take a look at your neck. Sound good?” He waited, making no move to drag Wirt into the shack or… or anything. He just waited, watching Wirt’s face, not with concern or wariness or even distaste. Dippers chocolate brown eyes held only patience for the wreck of a person, unwilling to let go of his hand. 

Wirt caught himself staring and his cheeks warmed. “Y- yeah. Yeah that… that sounds okay.” 

Dipper gave him a reassuring squeeze and a smile and led them both in and out of the cold. 


	3. It's a Start

As far as demon triggered panic attacks went, Dipper thought, at least this hadn’t been the worst he’d experienced. Granted the worst had been his own panic attack, so he might have been a little biased on that front. Still, Wirt was back inside and he hadn’t vomited yet or passed out, so that was at least a few points in their favor. 

Dipper led the other man up the stairs to his room in the attic. “Sorry if it’s a little messy.” he started. “I wasn’t really expecting visitors anytime soon. I mean, Mabel’s coming down for Halloween, but I figured I would still get a few more days before having to actually clean my room, ya know?” 

He opened the door to the room the twins once shared. Off to the left, pressed against the wall was an unmade queen bed. Opposite that, was a long, L-shaped desk that supported multiple monitors and an impressive assortment of papers, books, journals and seemingly random objects. Along the walls were a couple of maps, some cork boards covered in papers and pictures, a white board which had recently been wiped clean and a select few framed photos. The wall adjacent to the door was lined with bookshelves, which held yet more books and journals of varying sizes, as well as a few boxes and a rather odd looking chest that may or may not have been dredged up from the lake last year with the date 1753 etched into the metal band that encased it. The room was messy and very much lived-in, but it was home. 

Only once he entered the room did Dipper realise he was still holding Wirt’s hand. He turned and tried to assess his companion. He wasn’t shaking at least and he seemed to just be looking around the room, taking in his surroundings. Slowly, so as not to spook him, Dipper released his hand, pausing to gauge Wirt’s reaction as he began to speak. 

“You can take a seat in the computer chair, or the bed. Whichever you think seems comfortable.” Dipper explained. “I’ll get the first aid kit.” 

Wirt stared back at him for a moment, then nodded. Good enough.

Dipper turned and went straight for the bookshelves. Second shelf from the top sat a white, tin box, about the size of the average laptop, but a good four inches thick. He swore the med kit got more use than his computer did some weeks. Thankfully the only thing they were low on was bandaids, thanks to a rather prickly, baby porcupine that Lazy Susan had sworn was a monster in her diner. Dipper’s left arm was still littered with the last of the plain bandages as well as a few of Mabel’s old rainbow kitty ones that he’d been forced to make use of. Thankfully… or… unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, the task at hand was a bit beyond the help basic bandaids could give. 

Dipper grabbed the kit and turned to find Wirt hunched over on the edge of the bed, absently smoothing down the quilt on top and trying very hard not to look nervous. Dipper felt his heart clench at the sight. He and his sister may have faced a lot more in their young lives, but they had help and support along the way. This poor guy was having to face these supernatural forces entirely on his own and the scars of that struggle were plain to see. And yet, he’d made it this far. He’d made it to Gravity Falls, all on his own and was willing to trust Dipper with what any other person would deem as just the ravings of a crazy person. He was scared and nervous and unsure, but he was still here despite all that. 

Dipper could only hope that he could be worthy of that kind of trust. 

He walked over to the bed, set the kit down next to Wirt and popped open the metal lid. “I don’t think the ones on your neck will need stitches, but they do look like they’re trying to get infected, so I may need to open some of them up a little to clean them out properly.” Dipper explained as he gathered the supplies he’d need. 

“Uh… r- right.” Wirt mumbled. “H- have you… I mean, I figure you would have, b- but the question’s still… I- Have you done this before?” 

Dipper laughed a little at that. “Way too many times to count, man.” He doused a piece of gauze in alcohol and looked up at Wirt. “Um…” He bit his lip in thought. How best to ask this… “This may get a little messy one way or another. Not sure if you want your sweater to get blood stains or alcohol all over it.” 

“Yeah.” Wirt nodded in agreement. Then he froze, mid nod as realization seemed to catch up with him. “Oh… Oh. Um…” He looked down at his sweater and Dipper couldn’t help but smile at the blush that colored the man’s cheeks. Even if the circumstance wasn’t ideal, he had to admit that he found the easily flustered man kind of cute. 

“If you want to stay covered up, I can let you borrow one of my t-shirts.” Dipper offered, taking pity on his guest. “I’ve got a couple I keep around for stuff like painting and whatnot. A few red spots around the neckline wouldn’t even be noticed among the rest of the stains and dyes.”

Wirt seemed to ponder the idea for a moment, fingers idly fiddling with the hem of his shirt, but then shook his head. “Thanks, but… it’s fine. You… you already know about the worst of it anyways.” He sighed, then sucked in a breath, almost like he was about to dive into a pool, and quickly pulled the sweater over his head. 

Dipper managed to swallow the gasp in his throat, but his eyes still widened at the sight before him. He wasn’t surprised, given the state of Wirt’s arms and neck, not to mention how clearly underweight he was, but the sight was still startling to see. Raised, pink scars lined the pale skin of his torso. Most were cuts, but a few he noticed were clearly burn marks and one of the oldest ones was definitely made by a straight edged knife. Beyond that the skin was pulled taut over ribs that seemed eager to make themselves known. 

“I- it looks worse than it is.” Wirt reassured, his voice just barely above a whisper. 

“You said you haven’t had an appetite for a while.” Dipper began, moving to perch on the bed next to Wirt, one knee supporting him while his other leg dangled over the edge. “Is that from the lack of sleep and stress?”

Wirt nodded. “I’ve always kind of been the type to eat only one or two meals a day and be fine.” He huffed. “Benefits of a sedentary lifestyle I guess. I only ever really ate when I was hungry, so… when things started to get really bad… and I was too stressed or tired to feel hungry… I started to skip meals without really realising it.” 

Dipper forced his attention to the man’s neck and lightly dabbed the damp cloth at the angry red scabs, watching Wirt’s face for any signs of discomfort. He flinched a bit at the first contact, but that was to be expected. Though he had already said as much, it was becoming quite obvious to Dipper that Wirt hadn’t had much human contact in quite some time. Plus, if the Beast was regularly attacking and harming him in his dreams and forcing his body to attack itself, then the only touches he had been getting were hardly pleasant. Dipper wanted nothing more than to pull the figure before him into his arms and assure him that everything would be okay. He’d been through so much… 

“It didn’t really help that… you know… going to the store and whatnot means going out around p- people.” Wirt continued. “After a while I just… couldn’t.” 

“The feeling of being watched, right?” Dipper said, not taking his eyes off the task at hand.

Wirt nodded, wringing his hands in his lap. “Yeah… I’ve always been… well… a b- bit like this. Stammering, scared… pathetic.” he huffed out a humorless laugh. “Having the…  _ him  _ in my head… it’s just made all the worst parts of myself that much harder to… to deal with.” 

“You’re not pathetic.” Dipper stated, setting down the thoroughly stained gauze and prepping another pad. “You’ve got a malevolent entity that’s been tearing into your mind for over a year now. Anyone else would be just as much of a nervous wreck, if not worse, in your shoes. Trust me. I know from experience.” Dipper’s voice quieted at the last bit, but his hands kept moving. 

“I take it this isn’t your first time helping someone who’s been possessed, then?” Wirt asked. 

Dipper’s hands stilled. He inhaled, the stench of rubbing alcohol filling his nose, and breathed out. Wirt had been so open about all of this, he thought. The least Dipper could do was tell the truth, though he wasn’t sure how Wirt would react. 

“I’ve been possessed before.” he stated. Wirt turned slightly to look at him, but Dipper refused to meet his gaze. “It wasn’t for nearly as long. Just a day really. But…” he sighed. “See, Bill and I didn’t really start out on the best of terms when we first met. He was trying to screw with reality and I was a 12 year old kid who was in way over his head. It wasn’t the same as this.” he said. “Bill basically kicked me out of my body and was free to do whatever he wanted with it while I scrambled to get back in. It all worked out in the end, but… I get what it’s like to not have control over your own body. I mean, I work with all things paranormal, so the feeling of being watched or followed is kind of old hat at this point… but I know how it feels to wonder if  _ he’s  _ watching you. Wondering if or when  _ he’s  _ going to find a way back in. I- I… I know what it’s like to live in that kind of fear.” 

Silence hung in the air between them as Dipper worked. 

“I probably should have had you take a shower before I started this.” Dipper said suddenly. “It’s always better if the surrounding area is really clean bef-”

“And you still let him into your house?” Wirt asked. Dipper looked up and found Wirt’s eyes wide and confused and… concerned? Why would he be concerned about Dipper? He was fine.

“It was a long time ago.” Dipper said with a shrug. “We beat him and he was trapped for a while. The only reason I let him out was because I needed his kind of power for another threat we were facing at the time. I knew better than to try and make a deal with him, so I actually did my research this time and found a way to bind him to me. The ritual was permanent though, which I knew going in, but once we’d survived that whole fiasco I… well, I had to deal with the choices I’d made.” 

“Can’t you just force him to stay away then, or something?” Wirt asked. “Why doesn’t it bother you that he’s, you know, here? What… How did you move on?”

Dipper stilled, thinking for a moment before his hands moved again, reaching back to grab the antibiotic. “It did. Bother me, that is, at first.” Dipper admitted. “He can’t harm me or anyone that shares my blood, so physically my family and I were safe. But he definitely tried to be as annoying and insufferable as he possibly could for a while. Playing mind games and picking away at insecurities. That kind of junk. But… I don’t know. After a while he just… stopped. Pretty sure he got bored after I stopped reacting to him, to be honest.” Dipper chuckled. “It’s not like we’re best friends or anything, but… we’re stuck with one another for the rest of my life at the very least, so… we decided to make it work.” 

“And you don’t regret it? Binding him?”

The image of the summoning circle flickered behind Dipper’s eyes, followed quickly by his spell from that night and the sight of his sister, broken and so close to death. That monster lurking towards her, eager to bring down the final blow. Bill, rushing in, because Dipper had forced him to, and fighting back eldritch entity they had been so determined to stop. 

“If I hadn’t then my sister would have died.” Dipper breathed. “The world would, quite literally, be a dead husk if Bill hadn’t stopped that thing. So no. I don’t regret it. Even if I have to deal with Bill Cypher every day for the rest of my life and his unending mood swings and less than comfortable table conversation, I do not regret doing what I did.” 

The silence returned between them, staying for much longer this time. Dipper quickly finished up disinfecting the wound and placed a large, makeshift bandage over the gash. Once the worst had been tended to, Dipper’s eyes fell lower, skimming over the seemingly endless claw marks. He glanced at Wirt’s fingers, noting how the nails had been recently gnawed much too short.

“Do you want me to work on some of these too?” Dipper asked, tracing a finger around the edge of a rather nasty looking burn. Wirt winced but did not flinch back from the touch. 

“I- I guess? I don’t know.” He lifted a hand to touch the fresh bandage at his neck. “If you think that’s what’s best… I guess that’s- I mean… I really should have tried to take better care of myself.” 

“You did the best you could with what you had.” Dipper surmised, already digging through the kit to grab a tube of burn ointment. 

A comfortable silence settled around them as Dipper tended to the worst of Wirt’s injuries. Most of them were further along in the healing process, but the latest ones were rougher, angrier and really in need of some attention. It was as if Wirt had stopped even trying to mend his wounds anymore. Dipper decided not to comment on that, tucking the information away in his head. After all, dealing with this kind of thing after a whole year would wear anyone down eventually.

A thought jolted into Dipper’s mind and he paused. 

“Wirt?”

“Yeah?”

“You said that the first time the Beast started physically attacking you, that these incidents started happening, was last year on Halloween night, right?” 

Wirt nodded. “Y-yeah. Halloween was the night Greg and I ended up in the Unknown. I- I figured it was… important, I guess? Symbolic? I mean, creepy things happen all the time on Halloween, right? Kind of fits h-his aesthetic…”

“Well… I mean, he could be sentimental about the date, but I don’t think that’s it.” Dipper said, shuffling the medical supplies off of his lap and jumped off the bed. He quickly walked over to one of the shelves, skimming the spines of the books briefly before pulling one from the shelf. It was a thick, leather-bound tome. Not one of Grunkle Ford’s journals, but arguably more valuable given this situation. The cover read, ‘ _ Secrets of Souls and Spirits _ ’ in gold leaf, imprinted on black leather. 

“It’s long been believed that All Hallow’s Eve is a time when the veil that separates the living world from the world of the dead is at its weakest.” Dipper explained, flipping through the pages as he slowly made his way back over to where Wirt sat. “The holiday as we know it is really a very commercialized version of old folk traditions. Wearing masks was done in an effort to scare off spirits who passed through the veil. Some people would leave treats out to try and placate anything that came to haunt them and gourds would be turned into lanterns to guide kids home at night.” 

Wirt nodded. “I’ve heard stuff like that before. Everyone back then was pretty superstitious.” 

Dipper huffed a laugh. “Yeah well, given what you and I know, we can probably agree that they had reason to be.” He stopped on a page and carefully skimmed over the words until he’d found what he’d been looking for. He resumed his place next to Wirt and pushed the large book towards the other man, pointing at a place on the page. “Look. Records of supernatural events happening on this night go back hundreds of years. Hauntings. Kidnappings. People going insane. Possessions. All things that could be connected to spirits or beings from another plane of existence reaching out through the veil to our world.”

Wirt carefully read over the accounts Dipper had pointed out, turning the page as the other man spoke. “Okay, so… you think the b-  _ he  _ was only able to reach me like he did because it was Halloween? Then why didn’t he go away the next day? Why has he stuck around like he has? Why has this gotten worse?”

“You said when you were in the Unknown, at one point you’d completely given up and the Edelwood had started to grow around you and that’s what made your brother go with the Beast, right?”

Wirt nodded, closing his eyes. Obviously he didn’t like thinking about that moment. No one liked to think about the times when they’d failed. The times they gave into their fears and accepted that they’d lost. Dipper continued on. 

“Maybe that choice had more weight than you realized at the time.” Dipper said. “The Beast is the one who makes people into Edelwood trees, right? So, he has to be connected to them somehow. Maybe you giving up like that, was like giving in to  _ him _ . Even though your brother got you out of that, maybe the connection had already been formed.” 

“I’d already given in.” Wirt mumbled. “H- he was able to reach out to me, because I’d already let him in once before. Is that it?”

Dipper nodded. “That’s the idea.” 

“S- so… So why wait then?” Wirt asked, finally turning his head to regard Dipper. “If- if he could have gotten into my head this whole time, why wait for all these years? Even if he needed to cross over on Halloween, there’s been a ton of Halloweens since then. Why wait ‘till now?”

“Timing.” Dipper said, reaching over and turning a few more pages on the book before pointing to a diagram showing the phases of the moon. “The moon is deeply connected to a ton of supernatural things and can have a major effect on monsters, ghosts, magic, everything really.” He lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Wirt. “This month, the full moon falls on Halloween night. It’ll be the ultimate boost to all things supernatural. It’s why Mabel’s coming to visit in the first place. I knew I was going to need her help in preparing the Shack and taking care of the town. Even with Bill being around to help keep things under control, there’s way too much weirdness to be completely contained with this much raw natural energy in the air.” 

“B- but… but h- he reached out a year ago.” Wirt said. “He’s been in my head, he- he’s been making me- hurting me for a year now. If he needed to wait until this year, then why did he come through a whole year early?” 

“I don’t think he did come over… not entirely at least.” Dipper mumbled, his mind whirling as he spoke aloud. “Bill said this was basic demon stuff, weakening the host, but what if it’s more than that.” He locked eyes with Wirt once more. “Think about it. You faced the Beast once before. You intimidated him. Stood up to him. He knows you’re strong willed and will fight back. He’s had years to think about this and plan on a way to break you down. He probably knew you’d be able to shake him off if he tried to cross over entirely through the link you have with him, even with the full moon giving him extra juice.”

“So he sent a part of himself over last year and plans to bring the rest over this year?” 

“Maybe? Though, I think it’s more like he used last Halloween to strengthen that link between you. It’d be way too much power to split himself between two planes of existence. But, if he strengthened the link, he could stay in the Unknown and still torment you from afar.”

“Chipping away at me for a whole year before making the jump himself.” Wirt concluded. His hand rose to touch the bandage that covered his neck. “His attacks have been getting stronger… Once he’s made it… once he crosses over h- he… he won’t need a h- host anymore. Will he?” 

“I… I don’t know.” Dipper admitted. “Demons, things from other realities and stuff… this is really more of Bill’s territory. I don’t have all the answers for this one. But,” he reached out a hand, settling it on Wirt’s thin arm, “I promise, I’m not going to give up on this. I’m going to try everything in my power to make sure you come out of this in one piece.” 

Wirt stared at him, gazing deep into his eyes. “Thats… that’s a lot to promise… considering I’m currently holding myself together with little more than a few bits of string and a dab of glue.” He paused, doubt creasing his brow. “Do you really think we can beat him?”

Dipper thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. I’ll give it my best shot, but… I’m more concerned about making sure  _ you  _ make it out of this.” 

Wirt shook his head. “We can’t let him break through here. He’ll… He used the Unknown to lure people astray. To turn them into trees. To feed his lantern… I don’t know if he’d even need the lantern here, but if he does then this world has a heck of a lot more souls he can lure into the forests. He’ll feed on people, Dipper. I… I can’t let that happen.” Wirt said, pulling himself away from Dipper and hugging his arms over his still bare chest. “I can’t be the reason something like that is let loose on the world.” 

Dipper sighed, but nodded all the same. “Yeah… yeah okay. I get that. Okay then. We’ve got three days until Halloween hits. Three days to get this figured out and find a way to keep an interdimensional monster from crossing over into our world.” Dipper gently settled his hand on Wirt’s shoulder, causing the weary man to look up. Dipper tried to give him an encouraging smile. “Believe it or not, I’ve done more with less.” 

Wirt’s lips turned up ever so slightly at that. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it was genuine and Dipper counted it as a victory all the same. 

“Having Bill on our side is going to be a massive help.” Dipper stated, locking eyes with Wirt again. “I know you don’t like him, and I don’t blame you there, but if we want any chance of getting past this, we’re going to need his help here. He can get into your head, if you give him permission. I’d be willing to bet he could find that link and help you get rid of it. If nothing else, he’d be able to guide you and tell you what you need to do if he can’t do it himself for whatever reason.”

Wirt seemed to wither a bit at the idea. “I don’t know. I- I don’t want another voice in my head… I really don’t want  _ another  _ demon in my head.”

“If it makes you feel any better, Bill says that the Beast is definitely  _ not  _ a demon.” Dipper offered. 

Wirt didn’t appear amused by the comment. 

“Yeah, didn’t think that would help.” Dipper added. “Regardless, having his help is going to make this go a lot quicker and a lot smoother, the more you’re willing to let him in on.”

Wirt nodded. “I know… it makes sense and… and I trust your judgement here.” He chuckled at that. “Why, I don’t know. I guess, you made a really good first impression?”

Dipper shrugged. “Based on past experiences, dire circumstances tend to build trust between people pretty quickly. Animosity just as quickly, too. Best thing I’ve found is to just be honest and open.”

“Not bad advice… even outside of the aforementioned dire circumstances.” 

Dipper laughed at that. “Yeah well…” He shrugged again, unsure of what to say. It’s not like he had a ton of experience in making friends with people outside of Gravity Falls. Not that he really wanted to at this point. Still… 

Wirt cleared his throat. “Um… Y- you’re uh… you’re sitting on my sweater.” He mumbled. 

Dipper looked down, noticed the blue material rumbled up under his leg and quickly shuffled back on the bed, causing the book between them to tumble to the floor with an audible thud. 

“Shit! Sorry.” Dipper hopped off the bed and bent over to scoop up the heavy book. “You, uh- your burns should start healing up a lot quicker now. And I’m pretty sure I got most of the minor infections headed back on the right track.”

“Thank you.” Wirt said, slipping the sweater back over his head and adjusting the collar around the bandage at his neck. It didn’t cover the wrapping entirely, but at least it wasn’t tight around his neck either. “Really… t-thank you for… all of this. I… I’m kind of still processing the fact that you actually believe me, to be honest.” 

Dipper shrugged. “Like I said, I’m used to supernatural stuff.”

“No, I know. It’s less about  _ you  _ believing me and more that  _ someone  _ believes me. You know?” He huffed. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I know…” Dipper said, sliding the book back into its place on the shelf. He turned around to face Wirt, who’s hunched shoulders and fiddling hands made him seem very awkward and uncomfortable in Dipper’s room. Though the curiosity in his eyes as he looked around was at least a plus. Dipper cleared his throat. 

“Okay, so we’ve at least got the first step of a plan figured out, right?” He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and trying to look as calm and casual as possible. “We’ll have Bill take a better look at you and get his opinion and then figure out where to go from there. If you want, we can do that tonight, but… I mean it’s kind of been a crazy night and, no offense, but you look like you could use a proper night’s sleep.” Wirt’s shoulders seemed to tense at the mention of sleep and his gaze moved to the floor. “Or, at least a break from all the weirdness?” Dipper added. 

A ghost of a smile pulled at the corner of Wirt’s mouth and his shoulders relaxed as he looked over at Dipper again. It quickly vanished though and the nervousness from before settled into his posture almost instantly.

“I s-should probably get back t-to the motel.” Wirt said, standing up from the bed. 

“Oh. Right…” Dipper had actually forgotten about that. He’d just assumed that… well… “Y’know… since you’ve mentioned the whole sleeping issue thing… I mean,” great, now he was the one stammering. Just say it. “If you want, you could stay here while we get this whole thing figured out.” Dipper offered. “We’ve got a guest room downstairs and Bill can do the mind magic thing like before to send you into a deep sleep instantly. And… I mean, I’d personally feel better, given the circumstances, if you were somewhere reachable in case anything happened.” 

Wirt watched Dipper as he spoke, taking in the offer and flickering through a strange range of expressions as he rattled the idea around in his head. The silence dragged through the room for much too long. Dipper was starting to fidget, though he kept his eyes on Wirt. Waiting. Reminding himself to be patient. Wirt looked up, noticed Dipper still waiting and quickly looked away. Dipper could have sworn he saw those sallow cheeks pinken ever so slightly and he fought to hide his smile at the idea. 

“I- I don’t want to impose.” Wirt tried, though he didn’t sound nearly as unsure as he had earlier. 

“It’s an invitation.” Dipper said. “You don’t have to accept it if you don’t want to, but I wouldn’t have offered it if I didn’t want you to stay.” 

Wirt did smile at that and finally nodded. “Okay. Yeah I… I’d like that.”

Dipper smiled back and nodded towards the door. “Come on. We can get the guest room set up then and maybe take another crack at trying to get some food in you before settling down for the night. Sound good?” 

Wirt nodded and followed Dipper out of the bedroom and down the stairs, already looking considerably better than when he’d ascended them an hour ago. Dipper felt good about this. He’d dealt with this kind of stuff before and Wirt seemed determined to make it through this if there was any way to do so. He was strong and willing. And Dipper let himself feel optimistic about this particular case. 

**Author's Note:**

> \- If, for some odd reason, you like my writing and want to chat about this and some of my other fics, come join my Discord group. We've got a nice little community of fans, friends and some quality fic recommendations to share. https://discord.gg/q5vt4WT


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